One of the oldest earth mysteries was 'what shape is it?' Eratosthenes, in 240 BC, was able to prove the sphericity of the earth and estimate its size to a reasonable margin of error, by comparing the angle of the sun at two distant locations simultaneously. Aristotle knew that the earth was spherical, citing the horizon, the Earth's circular shadow during lunar eclipses, and other phenomena.

Many educated people knew about the spherical earth from late antiquity on. However, most Europeans believed that the earth was flat until the explorations of the renaissance. The Biblical concept of an earth with four corners (e.g. Isa 11:12 ) was taken very literally. Note that the word used here, kanaf, is a word used for corners of buildings, cloth, bedsheets, and so on. To confuse matters somewhat, the earth is also described in Isaiah as being circular ( Isa 40:22 ), specifically it says the circle of the earth. Some modern inerrantists point to this as 'evidence' that the earth is round, although Isaiah seems to imply that it is disk-shaped here. The Hebrew word used here is khug, which unambiguously means circle, not sphere. It is related to a root khagag, which means to dance in a circle, or a sacred procession which moves in a circle. Square? Circular? it's enough to make your head spin...

In the late 19th century a number of alternative theories of the shape of the earth were proposed, flat, hollow and inside-out. By the time the poles had been reached in the early 20th century, the time for these theories had passed. Today, some Biblical inerrantists still believe that the Earth is flat.

The earth is dotted with ancient and mysterious monuments. Is there some deeper message to these constructs?

Accounts of dragons, unicorns, sea monsters are found throughout history and folklore.

Renaissance Europe was not the first high culture which was capable of globe-spanning sea journeys. Were there other pioneering voyages which left traces of contact between the continents? Where did they come from and how much impact did they have on world culture?

Today, earth mysteries include ley lines, lost and underground civilizations, pole shifts, and other unexplained phenomena. Here are some highlights:

One of the oldest earth mysteries was 'what shape is it?' Eratosthenes, in 240 BC, was able to prove the sphericity of the earth and estimate its size to a reasonable margin of error, by comparing the angle of the sun at two distant locations simultaneously. Aristotle knew that the earth was spherical, citing the horizon, the Earth's circular shadow during lunar eclipses, and other phenomena.

Many educated people knew about the spherical earth from late antiquity on. However, most Europeans believed that the earth was flat until the explorations of the renaissance. The Biblical concept of an earth with four corners (e.g. Isa 11:12 ) was taken very literally. Note that the word used here, kanaf, is a word used for corners of buildings, cloth, bedsheets, and so on. To confuse matters somewhat, the earth is also described in Isaiah as being circular ( Isa 40:22 ), specifically it says the circle of the earth. Some modern inerrantists point to this as 'evidence' that the earth is round, although Isaiah seems to imply that it is disk-shaped here. The Hebrew word used here is khug, which unambiguously means circle, not sphere. It is related to a root khagag, which means to dance in a circle, or a sacred procession which moves in a circle. Square? Circular? it's enough to make your head spin...

In the late 19th century a number of alternative theories of the shape of the earth were proposed, flat, hollow and inside-out. By the time the poles had been reached in the early 20th century, the time for these theories had passed. Today, some Biblical inerrantists still believe that the Earth is flat.

The earth is dotted with ancient and mysterious monuments. Is there some deeper message to these constructs?

Accounts of dragons, unicorns, sea monsters are found throughout history and folklore.

Renaissance Europe was not the first high culture which was capable of globe-spanning sea journeys. Were there other pioneering voyages which left traces of contact between the continents? Where did they come from and how much impact did they have on world culture?

Today, earth mysteries include ley lines, lost and underground civilizations, pole shifts, and other unexplained phenomena. Here are some highlights:

One of the oldest earth mysteries was 'what shape is it?' Eratosthenes, in 240 BC, was able to prove the sphericity of the earth and estimate its size to a reasonable margin of error, by comparing the angle of the sun at two distant locations simultaneously. Aristotle knew that the earth was spherical, citing the horizon, the Earth's circular shadow during lunar eclipses, and other phenomena.

Many educated people knew about the spherical earth from late antiquity on. However, most Europeans believed that the earth was flat until the explorations of the renaissance. The Biblical concept of an earth with four corners (e.g. Isa 11:12 ) was taken very literally. Note that the word used here, kanaf, is a word used for corners of buildings, cloth, bedsheets, and so on. To confuse matters somewhat, the earth is also described in Isaiah as being circular ( Isa 40:22 ), specifically it says the circle of the earth. Some modern inerrantists point to this as 'evidence' that the earth is round, although Isaiah seems to imply that it is disk-shaped here. The Hebrew word used here is khug, which unambiguously means circle, not sphere. It is related to a root khagag, which means to dance in a circle, or a sacred procession which moves in a circle. Square? Circular? it's enough to make your head spin...

In the late 19th century a number of alternative theories of the shape of the earth were proposed, flat, hollow and inside-out. By the time the poles had been reached in the early 20th century, the time for these theories had passed. Today, some Biblical inerrantists still believe that the Earth is flat.

The earth is dotted with ancient and mysterious monuments. Is there some deeper message to these constructs?

Accounts of dragons, unicorns, sea monsters are found throughout history and folklore.

Renaissance Europe was not the first high culture which was capable of globe-spanning sea journeys. Were there other pioneering voyages which left traces of contact between the continents? Where did they come from and how much impact did they have on world culture?

Today, earth mysteries include ley lines, lost and underground civilizations, pole shifts, and other unexplained phenomena. Here are some highlights: